Luanda – The domestic and international passenger flights at the new António Agostinho Neto International Airport (AIAAN) will begin in the last quarter of this year, disclosed Monday in the Province of Luanda the coordinator of the infrastructure's Operational Office, José Paulo Nóbrega.
According to him, more than a thousand technicians are currently being trained for subsequent international certification that will licence them to operate the new Luanda Airport.
The official gave ANGOP this information at the end of a fact-finding visit to the new airport by the Minister of State for Economic Coordination, José de Lima Massano, which aimed to assess the challenges facing the operationalisation of AIAAN.
The visit was preceded by a multisectoral meeting to monitor the construction and activation of this infrastructure.
The coordinator made it known that, at the moment, the biggest challenge to making the airport operational is the training of staff, which began around four months ago, with on-the-job training starting in June.
"In fact, we have two types of challenges, the first being the repairs to the last works needed before the start, but which do not affect the airport's operation", he said.
The coordinator of the New Luanda International Airport Works Office (GONAIL) said that the training of technicians would begin soon for maintanance to make the project last.
He said that there is a multidisciplinary team of 18 groups, made up of more than 40 technicians each, including public transport professionals from Luanda Urban Public Transport (TCUL), Caminhos de Ferro and General Tax Administration (AGT), who are working daily to find the best ways to get the airport up and running in all its capabilities.
It already has the necessary equipment and technology for its normal operation, such as those for the fire brigade, security, communications, baggage control, passenger control and traffic control.
AIAAN has been operating since January this year with cargo services and currently has an average of five flights a week, with a greater emphasis on imports from various countries.
The official informed that the airport has already received large cargo planes like the 747 and other lighter planes from various parts of the world, while the passenger planes continue at 4 de Fevereiro Airport for the time being.
Inaugurated on 10 November 2023, AIAAN has the capacity to receive up to 15 million passengers a year and to process 130,000 tonnes of goods in the same period.
The new international airport is designed to be one of the largest and most important airport and logistics hubs on the African continent, not only to boost inter-African trade and promote mobility between African countries, but also to consolidate Angola and Africa's connection to the rest of the world.
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